Girls’ Jemima Kirke Casually Admits to Having Had an Abortion, Still Living Off Her Parents

Jemima Kirke’s life may not look anything like her Girls character Jessa’s, but an interview with the daughter of Bad Company’s Simon Kirke reveals that she has the same n’er-do-well, bohemian, la belle vie sort of attitude. Plus, she’s just as frank and honest as Jessa, especially when it comes to her sexual history.

Jemima discusses how the controversial show has grounded her, giving her “this nine-to-five general accountability,” but also admits that she is still living off her parents, and that she’s had an abortion in the past.

When asked about whether or not she has financial independence, Jemima says, “Dude, I’m still living off my parents.” But she backtracks slightly, saying later in the interview, “No, I’m not living off my parents anymore. That’s a joke. I think it took me until … This show! What the f**k am I talking about? Are you kidding me? The best thing about this show for me was I got independence.”

Despite the rampant backlash against the characters on Girls, for being too white, too privileged, too nonchalant about their positions in life as Brooklyn-dwelling semi-employed college graduates, we can’t honestly say that we wouldn’t accept our family’s financial support if they had millions to spare.

As for her character’s abortion storyline in Girls Episode 2: “Vagina Panic,” Jemima said that it didn’t provoke any particularly strong emotions. “It felt fine. I mean, I’ve done both. I’ve had a baby. I’ve had an abortion. So, uh, it felt fine. Totally natural. I didn’t have any harsh feelings about it. I was like, ‘Yeah, this is what happens.’”

The characters on Girls are progressive, and whether they know it or not, living in a post-Gloria Steinem, post-Roe v. Wade world. They know that they have control over their own bodies, and if they lose control, they have a choice on how to handle that. Pro-lifers can complain however loudly they want, but girls like Jemima and Jessa are bold enough to accept themselves, and their past.

Jemima’s liberated, boho point of view may have something to do with the fact that, like Jessa, Jemima has lived a little. “I think I did a lot of really stupid stuff really quickly in my twenties and that sort of led me to want to sort of just relax a little bit. Relax a lot.”

And for anyone still angry about the lack of racial diversity on Girls, we would like to applaud Vulture commenter BuddahBless. Read his or her honest, bigger-picture comment under the original story, which you can view here.